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Basketball conspiracy theorists opined that the fix was in when the Mavericks landed the No. 1 overall pick in May’s draft lottery, but one person went a step further on Wednesday after Dallas drafted Duke product Cooper Flagg with the selection.
During a press conference inside Barclays Center, someone asked Flagg about the conspiracy, which left the new Mavericks star a little shocked.
“Nope,” Flagg responded when he was asked the bizarre question if he had any reaction to the “tons of rumors” that the NBA rigged the lottery for the Mavericks for them to trade Luka Dončić to the Lakers.
“I don’t know what to say about that,” Flagg continued in response to the ridiculous question. “I have no insider information if that’s what you’re looking for. But I just feel blessed for the way it all worked out.”
It’s unclear who asked Flagg the question.
Some NBA fans did grasp on to the conspiracy after the Mavericks defied the odds and won the No. 1 pick after having just a 1.8 percent chance to secure it.
When they won the pick, some people quickly connected the shocking trade the Mavs made during the season in sending Dončić to the Lakers, which set off a firestorm of anger among Mavericks fans, with a lot of it aimed at general manager Nico Harrison.
That anger has continued to permeate, with Dallas fans chanting “Fire Nico!” during the team’s draft party at American Airlines Arena.
Flagg’s arrival in Dallas gives the Mavericks another potential star to join the likes of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
“I want to be a sponge. I want to learn as much as I can,” Flagg told reporters after he was selected. “I think AD’s an incredible role model, the way he plays the game on both sides of the ball and impacts winning. He’ll be an incredible role model for me to learn and figure things out.”
